Kennedy Meadows

Interesting place here. Feels a little like stepping back in time. Washer, but no dryer. No cell service. No wifi. $5.00 all you can eat pancakes in the morning! 

The good news is...my tent arrived on time. Both of them 😝. The one I attempted to order but never got to go through because of the REI website AND the one that Emily ordered for me. SO, I kept one and Nuts (who is on his way home :( is returning the other to REI for me. The  newer model is more spacious and weighs less!

Bonus!

Kennedy meadows general store is an interesting place. We did laundry, showered and hung out on the front porch with everyone else

This is where we are required to start carrying a bear vault as we head in to the Sierra Nevadas. All our food is stored in the vault and at night we set the food away from our tents and sort of prop it in between some rocks. Hopefully smell proof so the Bears don't bother it.

That's it sitting out side my (old) tent. They're pretty huge. I haven't even attempted to fit it inside my pack yet. Should be interesting.

Skittles was here today and had an awesome video that he had taken of a bear standing up against a tree scratching his back! So cool. Kind of like Ballou in Jungle Book.

Tomorrow we hike out. Shouldn't hit snow for about 50 miles. We are ready and have a tentative plan for our mileage but are flexible. There is a chance of more snow/rain over the next few days. So excited for this new part of the adventure!!

Heard some very sad news today. Bill Ackerly (known as 'the ice cream man' to AT hikers) passed away this week. He was a retired physician from Cambridge who lived about 100 yards off the AT in New Hampshire. He invited hikers to stop in for some ice cream, a soda, a game of croquet and the joy of Bill's wit. He will be missed by all who had the joy of meeting him.